1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to racking assemblies. Specifically, the invention relates to racking assemblies capable of being mounted onto hitch attachments of vehicles to transport equipment, such as bicycles, skis and luggage.
2. General Background and State of the Art
There are many prior art racking assemblies capable of securely holding articles while being mounted on vehicles. Some prior art racking assemblies are capable of attaching to the rear of vehicles having a hitch. These prior art racking assemblies are placed on vehicles by positioning the racking assembly onto the hitch and locking the racking assembly in place using a pin. When the pin is in place, the racking assembly cannot move forward or backward relative to the vehicle, thereby providing a secure assembly for transporting a variety of articles. However, as the vehicle moves, unstable movement of the racking assembly may occur. Movement of the vehicle, especially at high speeds, may cause the racking assembly to vibrate. In such a situation, the articles placed on the racking assembly can loosen and may fall off while the vehicle is in motion. This can cause injury to other drivers by creating a potential road hazard. Also, attempting to remove loosened articles from the racking assembly after a vehicle has stopped may also cause injury. Therefore there is a need for a racking assembly which does not fall forward into a user when in an unlocked position while an article is being placed onto the racking assembly. There is also a need in the art for a racking assembly capable of attaching to a vehicle provide for stable support while the vehicle is in motion
One prior art pivoting vehicle rack, found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,498, includes a hitch connector, an upright support, an equipment carrier and a lower plate. This rack is positionable on the hitch of a vehicle and supports equipment placed on the equipment carrier. One problem associated with this type of rack, and with other similar racks, is the operation of the rack when equipment is placed onto the equipment carrier. For example, when equipment or other weight is placed on the carrier, the rack has a tendency to fall forward toward the person placing the equipment on the rack. Therefore there is a need in the art for a racking assembly that does not fall toward a person loading equipment onto the racking assembly for transportation or storage.
The present invention provides a pivotable racking assembly capable of coupling to a vehicle""s hitch mount for transporting equipment. The racking assembly includes a pair of frame support members that are generally parallel and longitudinally aligned. Each frame support member has an upper end and a lower end. The lower ends are pivotally coupled to a hitch member and the upper ends are pivotally coupled to an equipment support assembly. The assembly also includes a pair of pivoting mechanisms which allow movement of the racking assembly forward and backward. In one embodiment, the pair of frame support members are different sizes.
In one embodiment, the upper end of one of the frame support members curves inward toward the upper end of the other frame support member near the equipment support assembly. This results in the spacing between the ends of the frame support members being greater at the hitch mount than at the equipment support assembly. That is, the frame support members are positioned more closely together at the equipment support assembly than at the hitch mount. This configuration allows the pivotable racking assembly to collapse backward away from a person as equipment is placed on top of the equipment support assembly. When the racking assembly is mounted on the rear of a car, for example, this difference permits the racking assembly to rotate backward toward the vehicle when weight is applied to the racking assembly.
The configuration of the upper ends of the frame support members allows a person to safely place equipment onto the racking assembly without the possibility of accidentally collapsing the racking assembly toward himself or herself. As equipment is placed onto the equipment support bars connected to the equipment support assembly, the weight of the equipment forces the frame support members to pivot relative to the hitch member and equipment support assembly such that the racking assembly falls backward away from the user. As a force is applied to the equipment support bars, the force is transferred to the frame support members by the curvature of the upper end of one of the frame support members and the smaller difference in distance between the two frame support members at the upper ends than at the lower ends. The racking assembly pivots around a locking pin coupling the curved frame support member to the equipment support assembly, and the applied force is distributed between the longitudinal axis of the second frame support member and the pivot point of the first frame support member. This causes the frame support members to pivot away from the application of the force, and therefore it is the curvature of the upper end of the frame support that causes the racking assembly to collapse backwards away from a user standing adjacent to the equipment support bars.
In another embodiment, the second frame support member includes a pair of tubes of the same length and curvature welded together. This configuration provides additional security for the entire racking assembly and more support for items place on the equipment support assembly.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a racking assembly that falls away from a person loading equipment onto the racking assembly. It is another object of the present invention to provide a racking assembly that is easily securable to prevent equipment from falling from the racking assembly. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a racking assembly that is easily placeable onto a vehicle to transport or store equipment.